While this embroidery for my etui was stitched by me, the embroidery design and the pattern for the Victorian Etui was designed by a very talented friend of mine, Karen Fraser.

Karen made her first etui many years ago. I was fortunate to be one of her very first students while she "practiced" her teaching techniques on me and Arlene Baker. Both Karen and Arlene are well-known in southern California as two of Piecemaker's finest and favorite class instructors.

The etui opens to reveal pockets to hold needles, and your favorite pair of needlework scissors. The small gold pair that I put in mine did not have a leather sheath, so I made one by tracing around my scissors on a piece of paper.

I cut a simple shape around that outline, then used some of the leftover wool felt used to line the interior to make a sheath. I added a few blossoms to mirror the embroidery on the interior heart pocket before I stitched the sheath together with a simple buttonhole stitch.

This project was started, and then set aside in a box many years ago. I'm glad that I was finally motivated to finish it. If you're in southern California and would like to learn from a silk ribbon embroidery master, check out Karen's classes at Piecemakers in Costa Mesa, CA. You'll love getting to know her!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Here's an easy foundation-pieced crazy quilt block, featuring one of my favorite postcards from my personal collection - V226. It's just one of the images from my Vintage Postcard CD.

Print this block directly onto computer printer fabric with your inkjet printer, then use it as the foundation for your crazy quilt block with the center image already in place. If you want to make your block larger or smaller, use this as a guide to piecing.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Here's an easy foundation-pieced crazy quilt block, featuring one of my favorite postcards from my personal collection - V226. It's just one of the images from my Vintage Postcard CD.

Print this block directly onto computer printer fabric with your inkjet printer, then use it as the foundation for your crazy quilt block with the center image already in place. If you want to make your block larger or smaller, use this as a guide to piecing.

This is a bonus block just for Valentine's Day in my new series of crazy quilt blocks. Click on any block in this index to view the individual PDF file, and print out the block. On the 21st, I'll post the same block redesigned into a diamond. Make just one block, or two, or three, or all four!

My original series of 36 crazy quilt blocks is still available at no charge. Click on any block in this index to view the individual PDF file, and print out the block.

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Here's an easy foundation-pieced crazy quilt block, featuring one of my favorite postcards from my personal collection - V226. It's just one of the images from my Vintage Postcard CD.

Print this block directly onto computer printer fabric with your inkjet printer, then use it as the foundation for your crazy quilt block with the center image already in place. If you want to make your block larger or smaller, use this as a guide to piecing.

This is the 2nd hexagon-shaped block in my new series of crazy quilt blocks. Click on any block in this index to view the individual PDF file, and print out the block. On the 21st, I'll post the same block redesigned into a diamond. Make just one block, or two, or all three!

My original series of 36 crazy quilt blocks is still available at no charge. Click on any block in this index to view the individual PDF file, and print out the block.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Here's an easy foundation-pieced crazy quilt block, featuring one of my favorite postcards from my personal collection - V226. It's just one of the images from my Vintage Postcard CD.

Print this block directly onto computer printer fabric with your inkjet printer, then use it as the foundation for your crazy quilt block with the center image already in place. If you want to make your block larger or smaller, use this as a guide to piecing.

This is the 2nd square-shaped block in my new series of crazy quilt blocks. Click on any block in this index to view the individual PDF file, and print out the block. On the 11th, I'll post the same block redesigned into a hexagon. On the 21st, I'll post the same block redesigned into a diamond. Make just one block, or two, or all three!

My original series of 36 crazy quilt blocks is still available at no charge. Click on any block in this index to view the individual PDF file, and print out the block.